A Fifth Death Blamed On Legionella At Retirement Home

Four people have died at Wesley Ridge due to cases of Legionnaires' Disease

A fifth person has been confirmed to have died from contracting legionnaires disease at the Wesley Ridge Retirement Community in Reynoldsburg.

As of Monday there were a total of 35 persons with confirmed legionella cases. The majority have been treated and returned home. 4 people have died from the disease. The victims ranged in age from 65 to 99.

Spokeswoman for the Franklin County Public Health Department, Mitzi Kline says this is the largest outbreak she has seen in the county.

“It certainly was an outbreak that affected a lot of people which is why we’ve been working diligently with our partners from the state and federal levels to try and figure out what the source was and make sure it’s remediated so folks don’t continue to get sick,” says Kline.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released final results of tests it took at the Wesley Ridge retirement community. The testing was done before officials implemented remediation efforts. Those tests show the Legionella bacteria were present in a portion of the potable water and in the cooling tower at Wesley Ridge.

Afterward, Wesley Ridge officials, following CDC recommendations, superheated water pipes and hyper-chlorinated the water system and cooling tower.

Wesley Ridge officials say the results of post remediation tests have not yet been released and that community officials have no idea when they will be. Until then, residents will continue to drink bottled water and will shower off-site.

As of Monday there were a total of 35 persons with confirmed legionella cases. The majority have been treated and returned home. 4 people have died from the disease. The victims ranged in age from 65 to 99.